Drawer slides



June 19, 1956 H. E. HUTZELMAN DRAWER SLIDES Filed April 15, 1954 Fly/fHiya i INVENTOR.

HOWARD E HUTZfiL/VIAN BY b4404 ATTOBA/E Y Fic 7 DRAWER SLIDES Howard E.Hutzelman, Corry, Pa., assignor to Corry- Jamestown ManufacturingCorporation, Corry, Pa., in corporation of New York Application April15, 1954, Serial No. 423,342

4 Claims. (Cl. 312341) This invention relates to structure for mountingdrawers in tables, desks, cabinets, etc., and is particularly directedto an improved support and slide structure by whichto enable movement ofdrawers into and out of extended position. The present invention isspecifically concerned with the provision of structure for improving theslidability of drawers not equipped with suspensions, travelingcarriages, or other usual anti-friction parts.

Generally, drawers of the type with which the present invention isconcerned are provided with side strips that rest upon and havefrictional contact with flanges supported by a case or cabinet in whichthe drawer is mounted. These drawer strips and case flanges includecertain interfitting parts by which to control direction of movement ofthe drawer. These interfitting parts have frictional contact over aconsiderable area and, to prevent binding and give free movement to thedrawer, must be relatively loose. It would be highly objectionable tointroduce an exposable lubricant to improve the slidability of theparts. The looseness of the interfitting parts is objectionable from astandpoint of noise of operation, such as chattering, which mustinvariably occur as a result of both side and vertical play. Noisyoperation is particularly evident in all instances where the drawer andcase are made of metal. It is probable that through the use of ball orroller bearings strategically located, the above mentioned interfittingparts would function more smoothly, not chatter, and be less noisy inoperation. However, there are many instances where the cost ofinstalling ball or roller bearings is such that it does not warranttheir use. .By way of comparison, it is obviously highly practical toprovide carefully engineered anti-friction suspensions for the drawersof filing cabinets inasmuch as these drawers are in constant use andcontain large volumes of heavy material. To distinguish, the relativelyshallow drawers provided in tables, desks, and cabinets are not requiredto sustain a large quantity of heavy material, nor are they manipulatedgenerally with as much frequency. Therefore, it has not been the generalpractice to provide other than frictional sliding support for drawers ofthis type. Additionally, it is evident that bearings of one kind oranother would be diflicult to install and maintain in tables, desks,etc., constructed from wood.

The present invention is directed to and has for its principal objectthe provision of an improved frictional drawer slide in which contact ismade between the relatively slidable parts at only two points on eachside of the drawer.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a drawer slidestructure having contact members that function as grips and guidesduring drawer movement into one position or another, and are so designedand arranged as to serve as the sole slide supports without requirementfor the special finishing of any surfaces with which they come incontact.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a drawerslide structure that is quiet in operation due to the elimination ofside play, inexpensive to install and nited States Patent enables theready replacement of the contact inserts should wear occur after a longperiod of use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be morefully understood from a consideration of the following specification,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing; in which Fig. 1 is afragmentary perspective view of the rear corner portion of a drawer inpartly extended position and shows one of the drawer supports and thearrangement of the slide contact inserts;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the drawer in retractedposition with respect to the supports therefor;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially as suggested bythe line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the forward insert,partly broken away, that is located at the forward end of the drawersupport;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View of the insert mountedat the rear of the drawer;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the slide insert prior to beingmounted as shown in both Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 7 is an endwi-se view of the insert.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral It} isemployed to generally designate a portion of one of the vertical wallsof a case or cabinet in which the drawer supporting structure embodyingthe invention may be mounted. A right angle slide support 11 is attachedalong its vertical flange 12 to the wall 10. The horizontal flange 13 ofthis support projects away from the wall 10 substantially as shown inthe drawing. At the forward end of the support 11 the flange 12 is ofless height and offset inwardly to provide a terminal flange 14 that isparallel to the wall 10. It is found preferable to eliminate thehorizontal flange 12 at this end. The upper edge 16 of the flange 14 isformed with an upwardly opening rectangular notch or recess 17.

A drawer, generally indicated at 18, includes side walls 19, to each ofwhich is attached a channel 21. Each channel includes a vertical flange22 secured to the drawer wall 19, horizontal flange 23, and a shallow,depending flange 24. At each rear corner, the drawer is provided with alaterally extending bracket 26, in the outer vertical edge of which isformed a U-shaped recess 27.

Generally horseshoe shaped contact members 28 are provided. Thesemembers are molded or otherwise formed from a plastic material, such,for example, as nyion, and have a certain amount of inherent pliancy.Each member includes tapered legs 29, the inner sides 31'of which arenormally parallel. The legs are integral with a curved base 32. Theouter edge of each member is grooved, as at '34.

Prior to inserting the drawer 18 into the case or cabinet for which itis intended, a member 28 is projected into each of the recesses 27 ofbrackets 26, the walls of the recesses fitting into the grooves 34 ofthe members. When these members are mounted on the brackets, they willappear substantially as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. It will be notedthat when the members 28 are mounted on the brackets, the legs 29 aredeflected toward each other due to the fact that the walls of the recess27 are parallel and the outer faces 33 of the legs are not. Thus, theends of the legs are brought into close proximity, any spacetherebetween being designed to be substantially the thickness of theflange 13 of support 11 (see Fig. 5). Further members 28 are mounted inthe reverse manner in the recesses 17 of the offset flanges 14 byinterfltting of the sides of the recess with the groove 34 of the legsof the member. The drawer may now be projected into the case or cabinetby aligning the narrowed space 36 of each of the drawer members with thehorizontal flange 13. The rounded base 32 of the for ward members iswithin the channel 21, being in contact with the under face of theflange 23. The depth of the opening 36 within the members is such thatthe flange 13 can project only part way therein. Generally speaking, theflanges 13 are merely unfinished and the inner edges thereof may berough as they come from a shear. However, these inner edges, due to thespace within the member, cannot come in contact with or cause wear onit, and even though there may be a certain amount of side play asbetween the drawer and the side supports 11, such play would only resultin the end of one of the legs 2) coming in contact with the verticalflange 12 of the support. The lateral location of the forward members isdetermined by the extent that flanges 14 are necessarily offset and thisrequires the rounded base 32 of each member to support the drawer on theflange 23 and also be in such proximity with the flange 24 as to preventany appreciable side play of the drawer.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the drawer 18 is carried bythe supports 11 at only two points, front and rear, and that themembers, as designed and arranged, produce a minimum of frictionalcontact and also eliminate virtually all side play or the possibility ofchattering during movement of the drawer from one position to an other.it is evident that through the provision of a pair of ordinary sidesupports, such as indicated at 11, and a pair of conventional drawermounted channels 21, plus the members embodied in the invention, it ispossible to provide an inexpensive and quietly and easily operablesliding drawer structure. It is well known that the molded nylon is notonly highly resistant to wear but inherently has a surface that will notstick when slid along another surface such as metal. Thus, by producingsliding contact members of the design and in the arrangement shown, afreely operable drawer slide structure is produced and one that will beimpervious to wear or breakdown over a long period of use. However,should one or more of the members become worn or damaged, it is a simplematter to withdraw the worn or damaged member and replace it with a newone.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modification andapplication of use of his invention, it will be apparent that themembers may be modified for their application to drawers other than theone shown and that such variations of structure and use are contemplatedas being within the spirit and scope of the invention insofar as set outin the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which Idesire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. Slide structure for a drawer comprising slides fixed to an enclosurefor said drawer and including horizontal flanges, slides on the sides ofsaid drawer partially overlying said fixed slides, laterally extendingbrackets at the rear of said drawer, said brackets having laterallyopening recesses, pliant U-shaped members, the outer walls of saidmembers and the walls of said recesses having a relationship such thatwhen said members are mounted in said recesses the free ends thereof arecaused to frictionally contact opposed surfaces of the flanges of saidfixed slides, and contact members at the forward ends of said fixedslides engaged with said drawer slides.

2. in a slide structure for a drawer wherein fixed slides are carried byan enclosure for said drawer and further slides are provided on thesides of said drawer substantially co-exten-sive and in overlyingrelation; means pro viding slidable support for said drawer slides onsaid fixed slide-s comprising generally U-shaped pliant members, meansmounting said members on the rear end of said drawer with the free endsthereof projecting laterally from said drawer, said ends, when saidmembers are mounted on said means, being compressed toward each other tofrictionally engage both surfaces of the adjacent rigid slide, at leastone of the ends of each of said members serving to limit lateral play ofsaid drawer, and other pliant members at the folward ends of said fixedslides providing contact support for said drawer slides.

3. in a slide structure for a drawer wherein fixed slides are carried byan enclosure for said drawer and further slides having side flanges,said further slides being on the sides of said drawer and substantiallyco-extensivc and in overlying relation with respect to said fixedslides; means providing slidable support for said drawer slides on saidfixed slides comprising generally U-shaped pliant members at the forwardinwardly oflset ends of said rigid slides, the closed ends of saidmembers projecting upwardly rom said rigid slides to an extent tocontact the under surfaces of said drawer slides and provide supportingcontact and prevent lateral displacement of said drawer by contact withthe flanges of said further slides, and other U-shaped pliant members onthe rear end of said drawer, the free ends of said other members havingfrictional contact with both surfaces of said rigid slides.

4. A s'lidable support for a drawer comprising a generally L shapedpliant member, the periphery of said mem ber having a groove extendingfrom one end to the other, the groove of said member being adapted tointerfit a recess in a drawer carried bracket, the outer walls of saidmember and the walls of said bracket recess having a relationship suchthat when said member is mounted in said recess the free ends thereofare compressed to frictionally contact the opposed plane surfaces of afixed rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS359,906

